Apple pays $60 million to settle iPad trademark dispute

Apple Inc. will pay $60 million to settle a trademark dispute that threatened to block the sale of iPads in China.

The U.S. company’s opponent in the case was Proview International Holdings Ltd., a Hong Kong-based electronics manufacturer that previously had designed a computer known as the Internet Personal Access Device (iPAD). In 2009, Apple reportedly paid Proview’s Taiwanese affiliate $55,000 for the global rights to the iPad trademark, but Proview’s Shenzhen subsidiary, Proview Technology, claimed that the Taiwan unit could not sell naming rights for mainland China.

In the ensuing months, the Chinese company fought to block the import or sale of Apple’s tablet computer, at one point seeking a reported $1.6 billion payout from the tech giant. A Shenzhen court sided with Proview last December.

The settlement ensures that Apple can continue to sell the iPad in its second largest market outside the U.S. Unfortunately for Proview, it won’t be able to enjoy the cash. According to Reuters, the $60 million will go into a court-designated account and, from there, to the company’s several creditors.